Canadian Pride, Vancouver 2010

Feb 12, 2010

By Anna Poulter-HendricksonSpecial to GoHolyCross.com

As gold medal hopefuls on Canada's National Women's Team lace up
their skates and sharpen their blades in preparation for the 2010
Winter Olympics, seven members of the Holy Cross women's ice hockey
team will try to focus on finishing their season on top and not let
the excitement distract them. Seven of the 20 athletes on the
2009-2010 Crusaders' roster are from Canada and this year's Olympic
Games give those athletes a good reason to celebrate their Canadian
heritage.

"I'm so excited!" exclaims junior forward Christina
D'Ambrogio (Toronto, Ontario). "I'm already in Olympic
mode wearing all the Canadian apparel I own around campus. I love
the Winter Olympics and am really looking forward to the opening
ceremony." The Winter Olympics will kick off with the opening
ceremony on Friday, Feb. 12 and the Canadian Women's Hockey Team
will take to the ice on Saturday, Feb. 13. Canada is in a pool with
Slovakia, Switzerland and Sweden. The United States, Finland, China
and Russia are in the other pool, with the top two teams in each
pool advancing to the semifinals.

Senior defenseman Lisa Wilson (Corunna,
Ontario) is sticking with her home team to win its third
straight Olympic Games. "I think the team is definitely capable of
winning again. They have a mix of veterans who have strong
leadership as well as some very talented young players that really
know how to skate." But Wilson knows that her temporary home will
provide some hard-hitting competition. "The United States will be
its toughest competition. I know they have played them numerous
times in preparation for the Olympics and every match has been a
close one."

A former opponent is what gets junior defenseman Emily
Henry (Lumsden, Saskatchewan) the most excited about this
year's Olympic Games. "Not only did I play against
Hayley Wickenheiser with my fellow teammate Jocelyn Kratchmer in
our league in my senior year of high school, but also her immediate
family lives in my town." Wickenheiser is a three-time Olympic
medalist, with her eyes on the gold in Vancouver. "I have grown up
around her grandpa and cousins. Because of this our small town of
Lumsden, Saskatchewan was a strong support system and were very
proud to brag about her close family ties residing in Lumsden,"
tells Henry.

A personal connection to Vicky Sunohara gives senior defenseman
Katelyn Doherty (Toronto, Ontario) even more
reason to watch the Olympics. "When I went home over winter break
the Olympic torch was making its way through Toronto," says
Doherty. "The torch bearer who lit the flame at Toronto's City Hall
was Vicky Sunohara, a three-time Olympic medalist." Sunohara, a
Northeastern graduate, has helped fuel the growth of women's hockey
around the world. "Not only did I have the opportunity to have her
as a mentor, but I was also able to play against her multiple
times. I think having her light the torch really shows how far
women's hockey has come and how much time she has put into helping,
mentoring and coaching young girls such as myself."

The development of women's hockey in Canada has inspired these
Crusaders to continue playing beyond their club and development
teams and set up home in Worcester, Mass. "I wanted to play at Holy
Cross because it was the perfect opportunity, I was able to play
the sport I grew up with and love and receive an excellent
education," says Doherty. Wilson echoed Doherty's sentiment, "It
was a goal of mine to be able to play hockey in the United States
because there is so much more opportunity here for the college
level for women. I wanted to play hockey and get the best education
at the same time, and Holy Cross was the perfect fit for that."

Between practices at the Hart Center and wrapping up their own
regular season, these Canadian student-athletes will be closely
following the action in Vancouver. "I will watch the games, as much
that is covered on television here; it is tough to watch games over
the internet," says junior forward Jocelyn Kratchmer
(Watrous, Saskatchewan). Wilson also plans to watch, "I
pretty much follow all the events in the Olympics, usually whatever
is on I will watch. But I will definitely make time for the hockey
games."

The gold medal game is on Thursday, Feb. 25, and with the
exception of a major upset, Canada and the United States are
expected to face off in the finale. And, after the women's champion
has been crowned, Kratchmer, D'Ambrogio, Wilson, Doherty and Henry,
along with fellow Canadians Lindsay Atkinson (Westbank,
British Columbia) and Monique Gallant (Antigonish,
Nova Scotia), will shift their focus back on their own
championship, the ECAC Open Tournament, on Feb. 27-28, as the
Crusaders look to defend their title from a year ago.

Between following the excitement of the Olympic Games and
finishing up their own season, February will be a month filled with
high-level hockey action for these international student-athletes.

College of the Holy CrossDepartment of Athletics 1 College Street Worcester, MA 01610